Do I really need to salt aubergines before cooking?

If you had asked me this question five or ten years ago I would have said yes, absolutely. The reason would have been that aubergines sometimes contain bitter juices which can be released and removed by salting.

You then rinse the salt off, pat them dry and continue cooking. But it is nowadays rarely necessary. The reason for this is that aubergines have had the bitterness bred out of them and so it is now only occasionally you come across it.

Having said that, I do still sometimes salt them. Why? Because salted aubergines soak up less oil. So when you cook them, your precious olive oil doesn't disappear in seconds, and though the aubergine is still rich and velvety, it isn¹t sodden with oil.

The same applies with courgettes, though I must say that I do still come across a bitter one now and again..